Prepping Groups, Families, Friends, and Neighbors

In the event of some SHTF situation, I think strength in numbers would most certainly be a huge asset to those that have it. I am not talking a TEOTWAWKI event but the strength in numbers could be just as important then, but I don't want to argue that point.

I'm curious how many of you have a strong network of like minded friends, family, and neighbors? Chris Duane suggests investing in Real Friends, Real Assets, and Real Skills. While a basic concept, it has me thinking about the concept a lot.

We are friendly with all our neighbors, we know them all enough that we would feel confident about approaching any or helping any. However I think only one or two have any thoughts toward prepping. I do not have anything like a Prepper Group that I hear some talk about. I'm trying to turn my family members more onto prepping for their own benefit. The long and the short of it I feel I need to concentrate more on building up real friends, particularly those with the same mindset.

How do you folks find yourself? Want to isolate or build up strong nearby ties? How are you doing with this goal?

With me it is my wife, my sons, and her daughters and mother. I don't even tell them, other than my wife, all that we have planned.

I have made it clear if we are circling the wagons they better figure on 2 things; 1) If you don't work you don't eat, 2) Bring everything you can carry of use to the family, food, fuel, tools, and firearms with you when you come. There is no way I can supply everyone with everything, and I won't try to.

Depending on how severe the situation is, the difference between economic downturn/depression or TEOTWAWKI, I am sure some of my neighbors will pool knowledge and excess vegetable garden produce to help out in a depression type situation, not sure what will happen in TEOWAWKI.

We have a small group of folk from various backgrounds and skills from Cali to Texas - just family and very close friends. Most of us grew up farming-ranching, canning and drying food, a couple of us even make pemmican (not particularly fond of it myself), butchering our own livestock and wild game, etc. Learned herbal medicine, first aid and some minor surgical skills. Many of us know how to build everything from furniture to fences to out buildings and cabins.

We have stocked up supplies at a couple fairly remote bug out locations and cached supplies along the various travel routes. The few neighbors we have are ranchers down in the valleys who we know. We have running water (spring and creeks) and wells on each property. Still lots to do but we could get by for a few years if necessary. Just a place to hunker down and ride out the storm in case of political, societal or economic upheaval. The best part is these places also provide recreational activities (fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, snow mobiling, etc.) so it is multifunctional and not unusual to see the same people on location throughout the year. What precautions and planning/building activities that take place beyond that is unseen by prying eyes. The glue for our "community" is we all have known each other most all our lives and we have a vested interest. We have a lifestyle that fits (prepping and outdoor recreation).

The key is to have a small close knit group if possible. It helps that I and some family members grew up in farming-ranching and loved to hunt and fish as a large family group along with yearly family reunions. As we grew older and the family ranch was subdivided and sold off and the suburbs expanded outward and developers bought up land for expansive subdivisions we figured we should acquire raw rural land where few people wanted to live but had the basics (water sources, wildlife, remoteness, accessability, etc.). Just someplace we could quietly develop an "off grid" hidey hole. Hard to find such places anymore as more and more folk are looking to build their own "Galt's Gulch" as it were. The way things are going it will just get tougher and tougher to find acceptable raw rural land. Now the Feral Government also is clamping down on rural folk with their alphabet soup agencies (particularly the EPA) to harass "off gridders" and those with remote undeveloped lands.

In short, if you want to start in a remote location then better start asap as the window is closing. Soon everything will be regulated to the point it is impossible to develop a "prepper community" like ours. Might even be better for those with more limited means to "bug in" and start there or move to a small town where there is a sense of community and like-minded values. Helps in our case there are a lot of small town Mormon communities nearby at the westernmost bug out location (prepping is in their DNA) and a lot of rancher with old time American values around the easternmost bugout location. Wasn't planned that way but glad it worked out asit did. Good folk in both places who also see the writing on the wall for our way of life. Makes any need for any true underground economy to exist (barter, trade, sideline work, etc.).

The only downside is as every new generation we expand a little more but the younger ones don't all have that desire to live the life. They rather play video games. I have turned a few nephews and nieces into rabid hunters though. The young in the extended community are another matter entirely. I suspect it will all come apart after my generation is gone and the rest go on their own way - the "family trust" may be eventually liquidated. By then I will be beyond caring of course. At least for now and the next few years we have some place secure to retreat to if need be. I think it works for us because it is part prepping for survival and part recreational for outdoor fun. Also provides for us as we retire and cycle through older provisions.

When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America , you get a front row seat. - George Carlin

Sounds like both of you got the Good Friends part of Chris Duane's equation under control. That's great!

I thought about buying a 40 acre piece of land with my old IRA (former 401k) to use as a retreat and recreational spot as well. However that was going to wipe out my account and while I think it would have been a solid long term investment it wasn't very liquid. I ended up deciding against putting all my eggs into one basket so my retreat property is not really an option for me.

The very nature of a TEOTWAWKI makes it virtually impossible to plan for. You may need to retreat to Mexico, may need to retreat to Canada, or the people of Canada and Mexico may be retreating to your home. Anything and everything is an option at that point. I have bought into Jack Spirko's idea of disaster probability. That makes me more concerned about smaller or local events. In such a situation I believe a tightknit community would be paramount. Also if you have some nearby friends that can help out one another that too could be a fantastic asset.

I have some friends which believe in some of the concerns I have but they do not want to worry about it. They fully admit they are happier being ignorant to the situation. I have other friends that show more interest, but when it comes down to it they would rather watch a football game then research or take a training class.

Hm. That's something I never gave much thought to. Considering the decades-long flight of Cubans since Castro took power, I should have.

Canada seems stable in the near term. Mexico, though its current government is one of the longest in its history, is basically fighting an undeclared civil war with what we used to call "organized crime". If the narcos get any more powerful, they're going to *be* the government. In which case, things would suddenly get very ugly for the ordinary citizenry.

Hm. That's something I never gave much thought to. Considering the decades-long flight of Cubans since Castro took power, I should have.

Canada seems stable in the near term. Mexico, though its current government is one of the longest in its history, is basically fighting an undeclared civil war with what we used to call "organized crime". If the narcos get any more powerful, they're going to *be* the government. In which case, things would suddenly get very ugly for the ordinary citizenry.

I'm sort of thinking even more unexpected circumstances. The reason I mention it I have seen a number of people that live in rural locations and invest heavily in a homestead convinced they will bug-in no matter what happens. In all likelyhood that will be a safe place but events could happen where there is a large influx of people that may make the rural spot not so rural.

I'm sort of thinking even more unexpected circumstances. The reason I mention it I have seen a number of people that live in rural locations and invest heavily in a homestead convinced they will bug-in no matter what happens. In all likelyhood that will be a safe place but events could happen where there is a large influx of people that may make the rural spot not so rural.

I live in a rural area and have thought about the same thing, you know "If you are less than a full tank of gas from a large city, you could be in trouble". That's why it's good to have a fall back spot.

I'd rather be a "has been" than a wannabe!

2TIMOTHY2,4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairsof this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.